Continuous research and development (R&D) to beat back attendant issues of market emergence

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 26, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — The electric vehicle (EV) charging station market in North America has grown immensely, helped along by favorable government level (federal, state and municipal) incentives and subsidies for the purchase of EVs. The government is extending these plans to the installation of charging station and funding programs such as ECOtality’s EV project, which is trying to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure in six major states.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan ( http://www.automotive.frost.com ), Strategic Technology and Market Analysis of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in North America, finds that there will be approximately 4.1 million charging points by 2017. The most common ones will be the level 1 charging stations, as every EV sold will have a level 1 charging cord included in the vehicle. Level 1 charging station can be plugged in a household socket which takes approximately 8 to 10 hours to charge the vehicle and does not involve any installation cost. About 71 percent of the charging stations are expected to be level 1 followed by level 2, which will account for 27 percent of the market share by 2017. Nearly 87 percent of the EVs are expected to be charged in residential locations, as they will be parked in the garage for 10 to 12 hours in a day.

If you are interested in more information on this research, please send an email to Jeannette Garcia, Corporate Communications, at jeannette.garcia@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company email address, company website, city, state and country.

“EVs are more expensive than conventional vehicles, therefore, federal government is granting customers as much as $7,500 in incentives to purchase an EV,” said Frost & Sullivan Research Associate Prajyot Sathe. “Incentives include discounts on the purchase of EVs, tax credits or exemption and other advantages such as usage of heavy occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and free parking.”

The charging infrastructure is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 128.12 percent, due to the currency of the ‘green’ concept and oil prices’ volatility. Attracted by its potential and low entry barriers, participants are emerging from multiple industries such as technology, vehicle manufacturers, and utilities.

Even while offering substantial opportunities, the EV charging infrastructure market is plagued by issues typical to a nascent market. Participants are looking for solutions to ensure standardization of charging systems in vehicles, charging stations, and business models. EV owners are also inconvenienced by the low access to charging stations and the 8 to 10 hours needed to charge their vehicles at level 1.

However, continuous R&D will help overcome these challenges in the next two to three years. As the market is still evolving, participants are in the process of identifying the scope of development of technologies and economically viable business models.

“Participants are introducing various strategies such as providing EV charging facilities in restaurants, leisure places and malls as a value-added service to customers,” said Sathe. “They also adopt various business models such as subscription and pay-per-use to attract more buyers and make the most out of the market’s potential.”

Strategic Technology and Market Analysis of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in North America is part of the Automotive & Transportation Growth Partnership Services program, which also includes research in the following markets: Strategic Technology and Market Analysis of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Market in Europe, Strategic Analysis of Electric Motor Technologies for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in North America, and Strategic Analysis of Electric Motor Technologies for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in Europe. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

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